A BBC investigation has suggested that applicants with ‘Muslim-sounding names’ are three times less likely to be considered by employers than those with an ‘English-sounding name,’ something The Clear Company describes as “nothing short of shocking”
“CV based shortlisting is one of the most common places where bias can have an adverse impact on inclusive assessment, not only in terms of religion, but also ethnicity, disability, socio-economic group, gender and age,” said Kate Headley, director at The Clear Company. “After 12Â years auditing recruitment processes for some of the UKs largest employers, we know that what lies beneath the surface of policy, process and behaviour is the real issue.”
“Although recruitment is an assumed competency for hiring managers, few are actually trained in best practice. If an environment of real inclusion and diversity is to be created, it is crucial that employers invest in assessing their own recruitment processes and identifying what the real barriers to diverse talent are. The business benefits of organisational diversity are indisputable. Consequently, organisations which fail to recognise and address unconscious prejudice and bias in the workplace ultimately risk missing out on valuable skills, experience and expertise.”
The Clear Company provides consultancy and specialist software solutions to support organisations to be more inclusive of diverse talent, and you can find out more by clicking here
